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ACL Festival will be extended to two weekends in 2013.
If any of you are planning to build custom homes in Austin within the next year, or if you have your own already, we have some good news to bring to your attention. Over the past 11 years, the Austin City Limits Music Festival has grown to be considered among the ranks of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella as one of the largest music festivals in the nation. In 2013, ACL is set to become even bigger!
Many music enthusiasts in Austin consider the 2012 lineup headlined by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, Jack White, and The Black Keys to be the best lineup in years. As huge as people think the 2012 variety of ACL might be, 2013 already promises to be head and shoulders above prior festivals. On Tuesday, Austin City Limits Festival came to an agreement with Austin Parks and Recreation Department to expand the festival to two consecutive weekends. This year, the festival sold out within the first hour of tickets going on sale. Expanding to two weekends will allow more people to attend the festival, bringing with them a larger impact on the Austin economy. Read More→
It’s October and your Austin custom home builder believes it’s beginning to feel a lot like fall. The sun is warm but there’s a gentle north breeze that make you feel like someone turned the A/C on outside, giving you the perfect conditions to enjoy being outdoors. What better time to use your outdoor living area?
One of our most recently completed custom homes in Lakeway has a beautiful outdoor living area. Not only is it beautiful, but it also has some very unique features! This home in particular is oriented to overlook a cove on Lake Travis. The view from the home is phenomenal but it came with a small downside. The rear of the home faces the northwest which catches the evening sun during some parts of the year. To mitigate the sun exposure when using the outdoor living space, we installed retractable awnings. The space also has a stainless steel fireplace with a TV niche above. A full summer kitchen was included in the deisgn with a door that connects directly with the indoor kitchen. The summer kitchen is complete with a stainless steel grill, sink and beverage fridge, and granite counter-tops. Read More→
It’s time to begin prepare your home for the colder months.
With October quickly approaching, the time is now to begin thinking about preparing your Austin custom homes for the change in the seasons. Between the kids activities with school, the closing of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters, and relaxing in the cooler weather, you can’t forget the importance of maintaining your largest asset. The following is a list to spell out what you need to do to protect your home during the coming months.
Chimney and Fireplaces – although Austin is a temperate weather city, fireplaces indoors and out add to the ambiance of a quiet evening or an evening of entertainment. Call a professional to inspect and clean your chimney(s) in order to prevent hazardous chimney fires. Also, check your flue for a tight seal when closed in order to prevent a breeze.
Gutters and downspouts – Clean and keep these free from a buildup of leaves and debris. Neglected gutters can cause roof and wood trim damage, and pest invasion. Verify that water is not coming down behind gutters and that the support brackets are secure. Ensure that water drains properly to avoid foundation, drive or walkway damage. Read More→
An Austin Tradition in its 33rd year!
Fall is around the corner which means it’s time again for the Old Pecan Street Festival. This has been an Austin family tradition for the past 32 years and this fall is no different. Every spring and fall, the entertainment district on 6th St. takes a step back in time to become Pecan St. again. What started as a celebration in a parking lot at 6th and Sabine, has turned into a semiannual event with a carnival like atmosphere that celebrates Austin’s unique art, live music, food and entertainment! The time is now to step away from your Austin luxury homes, enjoy this beautiful weather, and immerse yourself in the culture that is Austin.
Historical 6th Street will be closed from I-35 to Brazos St. on September 29th and 30th to make room for all the local artisans and craftspersons, food vendors, commercial vendors, and sponsors. Not to mention three different stages where live local musical talents will be featured, headlined by Shel, Scorpion Child, Oh No Oh My, and Mobley. Another artist to check out is Jonathan Fox. This Austinite is an upcoming country and southern rock artist. He’ll be playing on the Main Stage at 2pm on Sunday. As you walk Pecan St. with the other 300,000 people the festival brings in from all around Central Texas, be sure to support our local vendors! Proceeds from booth rentals during the festival have benefitted the Austin Police and Fire Departments, purchased books for local schools and Christmas lights for the street, and aided in other municipal initiatives like the I-35 Makeover Project. Read More→
NAHB’s Housing Market Index continues upward
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NAHB’s housing market index continues to rise
The National Association of Home Builders’ housing market index rose three points to 40 in September, making it the fifth consecutive month of growth. This is promising news for the housing industry, Austin custom home builders, and the national economy as well.
NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg says this display of “improvement in builder confidence provides further assurance that the housing market is moving in a positive direction, but there’s still a long way to go on the road to recovery,…in particular, unnecessarily tight credit conditions are preventing many builders from putting crews back to work.”
Each of the three components that make up the HMI increased in September. The component that gauges current sales conditions rose to 42, up four points from August. The component that gauges sales prospects over the next six months posted an eight point gain to 51 points. The component which measures traffic of prospective buyers increased by one point to 31. Throughout all regions of the nation, builder confidence has risen this month. Read More→